[1] The Caribbean dish which has Amerindian and African influences,[2] is typically made from batata (sweet potato), coconut, cornmeal, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, brown sugar and vanilla, all tied up in a banana leaf.

Corn and sweet potato which are native to the Americas were staples of Mesoamericans, and the indigenous Amerindians, the Arawaks, cultivated them in the Caribbean,[8][9] which could explain their use as key ingredients.

[15] The more savoury version is called pastelle— also prepared in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, and is similar to tamale, hallaca (from Venezuela) or ayaka (from Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao).

[20] There is a similar dish called guanime dulce in Puerto Rico, which is prepared with cornmeal or corn flour, coconut milk and sugar / honey or molasses.

[24] In Latin America, particularly Mexico, there are a variety of sweet tamales and tamalitos which are made in different colours and flavours, with masa instead of cornmeal, and cooked in corn husks.

A similar dish called chepo or uchepo from the Tierra Caliente region (Michoacán and Guerrero), is made with corn, milk, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, butter and/or crème fraîche.

[30] Similarly, in Guatemala, tamales or tamalitos de elote are made with corn instead of masa, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and/or cheese, cream and raisins.

In some regions, the dish resembles a corn cake wrapped in banana leaves, later dissolved in sugar and water when served, hence the name garapa de pamonha.

In the central Andes region, sweet humitas[42] are made with fresh corn, butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, evaporated milk, anise and raisins.

Depending on the type, other ingredients may include coconut, pumpkin, sugar, honey, vanilla, cheese, panela, anise, cinnamon, milk and/or banana (ripe or green).